Here’s the real story behind all that’s been happening to Davy, Peter, Micky, and Mike—by David Price
David Price is Davy’s stand-in and he goes on tour with the Monkees. He has been with them night and day, so he knows their moods and interests. He, if anyone, can tell you if the four marvelous Monkees have changed since they’ve become so successful, and how they’ve changed.
The Monkees’ success couldn’t help but change them. It would change anyone. Mike’s personality isn’t that different. He’s still a true businessman and he would always do anything for his friends. My first impression of Mike was that he was going to be a star, and sure enough, he is! He’s always been a guy who accomplished what he set out to do.
But he is more outgoing than he used to be. He always had a drive to prove himself. Now he is at a point where he doesn’t have to do this and he is more relaxed. But he’ll never give up his efforts to move forward, that’s for sure!
Aims high Permalink
Mike has talked about the times in San Antonio when he was broke and down, and he would sit there and say “Someday, someday.” Well, now here he sits, with fans all over the world. He’s very successful but every now and then he still finds himself saying, “Someday, someday.”
He will always achieve greater things. Like, he has been producing records for about a year. The things he comes up with in a recording studio are unbelievable and he is just learning. In five or ten years he will be the biggest record producer around. He wants to be and he won’t stop until he is!
Fans are people Permalink
He has also changed in his attitude toward fans. He thinks of them more as people now, very kind people. He’s talked to them enough to realize that they have their problems like anyone else and that being fans isn’t their whole existence. He has learned that having fans means lack of privacy, but he realizes it’s an accepted thing because he’s a Monkee.
Davy’s a hard one. He’s a fantastically easy person to get to know, very open. But Davy was a star in his own right before the Monkees, only in a different field. He came from being the toast of Broadway, which he really was. When he became a Monkee, he had the big Broadway people and stars thinking “What a talent!” and they are still thinking “What a talent!”
Davy digs the stage Permalink
When I first met him he was still very much in tune with the Broadway type of life. Davy has always dug the stage and the atmosphere of the show people. That was very close to him. He still likes to remember that time, but now he feels closer to the pop music field and he feels the worth of it. Before, it was a moneymaking thing, fun, with groovy people and all, but it was still a business.
Now, he sees pop music as a way to expand creatively. The guys are doing their own songs and Davy’s having a greater say in the music. He’s writing songs now—good ones. He appreciates his fans much more. And he has become more open in talking about himself.
Has more fun Permalink
Also, he’s more at ease in his daily life. The way he lives hasn’t changed that much, but he can do bigger things now. He has a different outlook. Now, when he goes out, he can have fun for fun’s sake because he’s not auditioning for anyone and he’s not trying to sell a TV show like all the guys were at first. Now he can do more things that he wants to do.
Now, what can you say about Micky? When I first met him, he was nutty, with a crazy sense of humor. He mainly impressed me as a clown. Now I know that he is really a deep thinker.
Micky thinks fast! Permalink
Before, you could never stop him long enough to talk to him because he always had something in mind to do. He used to come up with these really wild ideas every five minutes. Like, “Let’s go stand on top of the highest building in Los Angeles and throw leaflets over the side saying ‘Perquackity is coming!’” He’d never do it though, because by the time everyone got ready to go do it, he had another idea.
He used to carry on a conversation with ten people as he was walking through a room. He was very pleasant about it, but it was the old “absent-minded professor” bit. He was such a groovy guy to be with, but you couldn’t get him in a serious conversation.
Now, he stops and talks with you, but sometimes you still can’t keep up with him because his train of thought is moving like his body used to move. He’s still a super-fast thinker.
Hobbies Permalink
Another change I’ve seen is that he’s picked up many hobbies. He is really accomplishing things which is very good because he’s such a talented guy. He’s writing songs, of course, sculpting and making things.
Micky has really matured in many ways. He has had time to think about the world situation, about himself and about people. He’s always wanted to have contact with people, but could never sit down and think out why. Now he can and he thinks people have great worth.
Love beads Permalink
The beads that he makes and wears probably mean two things to him. First, they’re colorful and he likes to have colorful things. But, most important, the beads are becoming a universal symbol of love and he wants to be in on it. He’s very involved with the peace movement.
Micky respects the intelligence of his fans more now. He won’t be phony for them. He wants to give them good music and make them happy.
Peter’s confident Permalink
I knew Peter way back in the beginning. He has always been a deep thinker, but he’s matured in his views. Before, he would question his own ideas and those of everyone else. Now he’s talking more and has more confidence in his ideas. He’s concerned about the condition of the world and is all for the love movement, too.
Now he has a clearer, more realistic view of what has to be done to make this world better. He has become a much nicer person to be around. He’s always been a nice person, but his niceness is coming out more now.
Peter is also more relaxed around crowds. He was never associated with crowds before the Monkees, so it was probably harder to get used to for him than for the others. But he has adjusted really well. He no longer sees it as a threat to his privacy, but as an opportunity to add to his experience.
True friend Permalink
His way of living is pretty much the same. He’s very cautious and he reads up on something before he talks about it. But now he has more people in his circle. He’s always been a “home for the homeless” to his friends. Now he can be that way even more.
His tastes in furnishings and clothes have not changed. It’s just that now he can have what he wants because he has the money. Peter has weird taste, but he has a very good feel of what’s right for him. I think the main thing about Peter is that his tastes and actions have all just matured from what they were originally. They’re a lot richer now.
